Fidel Estevanio Frank

Fidel Estevanio Frank from Shiprock, New Mexico. Diné Nishłį́ (Navajo). Kinya'áanii nishłį́, Tódích’íi’nii báshíshchiin, Tábąąhá dashíchei, Tł’ááshchí’í dashínáłí. I am Navajo. My clans are Towering House, I am born for Bitter Water, my maternal grandfather’s clan is Water’s Edge, and my paternal grandfather’s clan is Red Bottom People. Undergrad at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, majoring in Native American Studies and Graphic Design. Photographer and poet. Winner of Anthropology Photo Contest 2014 at Fort Lewis College. Published in Images Literary Arts Magazine, PF Magazine’s Best of College and High School 2015, and Talented 2012 Poetry Collection through the American Library of Poetry.

Artist statement: “Everything I do is for people to remember something positive from the negative connotations that Indigenous Peoples have been given. I’ve been mainly focused on my tribe, but as I have embarked on this journey, I have discovered that I have a passion to portray all Peoples of Color in a positive light. I believe we are all human. There is good in the world. I hope people can see that in my works, even among the harsh realities of life. I use emotion in everything I do. I just want to make people laugh or smile. Living life in every moment and not taking myself too seriously are all that make me as a human. I hope people can see and feel the positive through my works.”

Photo by VIKI EAGLE

fidel Estevanio frank

Glimpse at Diné:

Portraits of a People and Place

Originally, I was only focused on my tribe and had intentions of publishing a collection of pictures that show Diné (Navajo People) as human. As I started taking photographs of students at my school, it occurred to me that I want to showcase different types of Indigenous Peoples in a positive light. I want my pictures to show positive emotions. That, yes, there are injustices and so many negative stereotypes involving Native Peoples and that we are not really seen as human. I want people to see the strength found within and to inspire young Natives—actually, just people in general—to educate themselves and learn of true beauty in people. Specifically, with Natives, I choose not to sexualize Native Women, and I choose not to display the stereotyped Native Man with long hair. These pictures are a preview of what I hope to do in the future, which is to publish books of photography. When I started taking pictures, these were just images for myself to focus on the positives, while still keeping the negatives in the back of my mind. I use emotions in my works and hope that I convey those human emotions effectively. I have selected images that, I hope, show non-stereotyped Natives living in a modern world, and the land in its natural state along with traditions, like even the Shiprock Fair which has been running for 104 years now. There is a lot of bad in the world. Here is the little good that I see: Diné.